Underride protection device and method for producing an underride protection device

Abstract

An underride protection device for a battery-electric vehicle, having a sandwich arrangement with a core layer arranged between an upper cover layer and a lower cover layer made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. In order to functionally improve the underride protection device, ribs are arranged on the upper cover layer, which are materially connected to the upper cover layer, wherein the ribs arranged on the upper cover layer are surrounded by a respective top layer, which is materially connected to the upper cover layer at two retaining sections.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An underride protection device for a battery-electric vehicle, said underride protection device comprising:
 a sandwich arrangement including a core layer arranged between (i) an upper cover layer composed of a fiber-reinforced plastic material and (ii) a lower cover layer composed of the fiber-reinforced plastic material, and   ribs arranged on and materially connected to the upper cover layer, wherein the ribs are surrounded by a respective top layer, wherein the respective top layer is also materially connected to the upper cover layer at two retaining sections,   wherein the upper cover layer, the lower cover layer and the top layer comprise an epoxy resin.   
     
     
         2 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the core layer is formed from polyurethane-reinforced glass fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ribs are foam ribs composed of polyurethane. 
     
     
         4 . The underride protection device according to  claim 3 , wherein the ribs have a density of five hundred kilograms per cubic meter. 
     
     
         5 . The underride protection device according to  claim 3 , wherein, as viewed in cross-section, the ribs each have a trapezoid shape including a base that is materially connected to the upper cover layer. 
     
     
         6 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower cover layers are materially connected to the core layer, and the core layer is composed of polyurethane. 
     
     
         7 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the core layer and the ribs are materially connected to the upper cover layer arranged therebetween as well as to the lower cover layer and the top layer in a double sandwich arrangement. 
     
     
         8 . A vehicle comprising the underride protection device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the epoxy resin has a volume content of sixty percent glass fibers and quartz sand. 
     
     
         10 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein retaining sections of the top layer extend from the rib and are directly and materially connected to the upper cover layer. 
     
     
         11 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein each rib is completely encapsulated between the upper cover layer and the top layer. 
     
     
         12 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower cover layers are planar along their respective lengths. 
     
     
         13 . The underride protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ribs and the core layer are both formed from foam. 
     
     
         14 . An underride protection device for a battery-electric vehicle, said underride protection device comprising:
 a sandwich arrangement including a core layer arranged between (i) an upper cover layer composed of a fiber-reinforced plastic material and (ii) a lower cover layer composed of the fiber-reinforced plastic material, and   ribs arranged on and materially connected to the upper cover layer, wherein the ribs are surrounded by a respective top layer,   wherein the respective top layer is also directly and materially connected to the upper cover layer at two retaining sections by laminating or gluing.